Slamming the Pope's "white flag" demand, Kiev promises not to give up on Russia
Slamming the Pope's "white flag" demand, Kiev promises not to give up on Russia
KYIV: Ukraine denounced Pope Francis's invitation to hold talks with Russia two years after the invasion on Sunday, March 10, saying that Kyiv should "have the courage to raise the white flag" and that it will "never" give up.
The 87-year-old Catholic leader stoked tensions in Kiev this past weekend when he suggested in an interview that talks should take place between Ukraine and Russia, which has been occupying significant portions of its territory.
This is not the first thing that Pope Francis has said that has infuriated Ukrainians during Moscow's invasion. The pope has also made remarks that Russia has criticised.
The 87-year-old Catholic leader stoked tensions in Kiev this past weekend when he suggested in an interview that talks should take place between Ukraine and Russia, which has been occupying significant portions of its territory.
This is not the first thing that Pope Francis has said that has infuriated Ukrainians during Moscow's invasion. The pope has also made remarks that Russia has criticised.
"We fly a blue and yellow flag. This is our banner, by which we survive and thrive. "We will never fly any other flags," declared Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister of Ukraine.
He was reacting to an interview that the Pope had given to the Swiss network RTS, in which the pope suggested that Kyiv, two years after it had fought Russian forces on its soil, should give up.
In an interview reportedly held in early February, Pope Francis stated, "I think the strongest are those who see the situation, think about the people, and have the courage to raise the white flag and negotiate."
He was reacting to an interview that the Pope had given to the Swiss network RTS, in which the pope suggested that Kyiv, two years after it had fought Russian forces on its soil, should give up.
In an interview reportedly held in early February, Pope Francis stated, "I think the strongest are those who see the situation, think about the people, and have the courage to raise the white flag and negotiate."
Officials in Ukraine were so incensed at the remark that they likened it to parts of the Catholic church working with Nazi Germany during World War II.
"At the same time, when it comes to the white flag, we know this Vatican strategy from the first half of the 20th century," Kuleba stated, urging the Vatican to "avoid repeating the mistakes of the past" .
Andrii Yurash, the ambassador of Ukraine to the Vatican, went a step farther and likened the Pope's proposal for negotiations to speaking with Adolf Hitler:
"(The) lesson is only one, if we want to finish war, we have to do everything to kill (the) Dragon!" he posted to social media.
Following the broadcast of the interview, Francis offered more prayers for "martyred Ukraine" as the Vatican According to officials, his call was just meant to put an end to intense fighting.
"At the same time, when it comes to the white flag, we know this Vatican strategy from the first half of the 20th century," Kuleba stated, urging the Vatican to "avoid repeating the mistakes of the past" .
Andrii Yurash, the ambassador of Ukraine to the Vatican, went a step farther and likened the Pope's proposal for negotiations to speaking with Adolf Hitler:
"(The) lesson is only one, if we want to finish war, we have to do everything to kill (the) Dragon!" he posted to social media.
Following the broadcast of the interview, Francis offered more prayers for "martyred Ukraine" as the Vatican According to officials, his call was just meant to put an end to intense fighting.
The Vatican insisted on Saturday night that the pope meant "a cessation of hostilities, a truce reached with the courage of negotiation" when he used the term "white flag," which is a common symbol of surrender on the battlefield.
But several Western diplomats criticized the pontiff's remarks since they were generally seen as a capitulation call.
"Russia violates international law and is the aggressor! Thus, Germany requests that Moscow, not Kiev, end the conflict "German Ambassador to the Vatican Bernhard Kotsch stated as much.
After fighting its larger neighbor for more than two years, Kuleba said that Kyiv hoped Francis would visit his war-torn nation.
"We continue to hope that after two years of devastating war in the heart of Europe, the Pontiff will find an opportunity to pay an Apostolic visit to Ukraine to support over a million Ukrainian Catholics, over five million Greek Catholics and all Ukrainians," Kuleba stated.
In the initial months following Russia's invasion in February 2022, Francis faced criticism for not designating Moscow as the aggressor.
"We continue to hope that after two years of devastating war in the heart of Europe, the Pontiff will find an opportunity to pay an Apostolic visit to Ukraine to support over a million Ukrainian Catholics, over five million Greek Catholics and all Ukrainians," Kuleba stated.
In the initial months following Russia's invasion in February 2022, Francis faced criticism for not designating Moscow as the aggressor.
Last year, when he was purportedly praising Peter the Great and Catherine II, two Russian imperial leaders, he was also criticized by Ukraine.
The pontiff's remarks in the winter of 2022 regarding its "cruellest" forces in Ukraine being "not of the Russian tradition" but rather minorities such as "the Chechens, the Buryati and so on" have also sparked agitation in Russia.
The Vatican then sent Moscow a formal apology.
A prominent cardinal nominated by Pope Francis last year has traveled to Beijing, Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv in an attempt to mediate peace in the country.
The pontiff's remarks in the winter of 2022 regarding its "cruellest" forces in Ukraine being "not of the Russian tradition" but rather minorities such as "the Chechens, the Buryati and so on" have also sparked agitation in Russia.
The Vatican then sent Moscow a formal apology.
A prominent cardinal nominated by Pope Francis last year has traveled to Beijing, Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv in an attempt to mediate peace in the country.
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